Planting
Mechanical Planting – The mechanical planter is ideal for planting large quantities of bulbs into existing grass areas, for example; road verges, lawns, roundabouts etc. By planting the bulbs this way, you will maximise your display while minimising your cost. The machine is deployed nationwide from September to December.
High volume – Under the right circumstances it is possible to plant approximately 10,000 daffodil sized bulbs or 25,000 crocus sized bulbs per hour. The speed of planting may vary depending on factors like soil type, location and planting area.
How it Works – The bulbs are loaded into the hopper, and the chute adjusted to control the rate. When moving two belts deliver the bulbs to the ‘plant feet’. Cutting discs open the turf just before the planter feet. The feet ‘dive’ into the ground and lift the sod at a width of 1 metre, at which point the belts drop the bulbs through the legs into the ground. A small spigot in the leg, prevents a single narrow planting line and distributes the bulbs evenly across the width of the planting area.
As the machine progresses along the area the sod is dropped back into position and rolled down by the weight of the machine. At the end of the process the only visible indication of work being carried out in the area are some scarring at the entry and exit points, and two parallel lines where the discs cut the sod. These markings will fully disappear within a month as the sod stitches itself back together.
Cost Effective – The planter is deployed on a daily rate basis with 2 operators, planter and compact tractor. For practical purposes the minimum planting area is 100m2 – which accounts for approx. 10,000 daffodil sized bulbs. By comparison, the per man output for planting the same quantity of bulbs is 1000 bulbs per day. We have successfully planted up to 2500 metres in 1 day, with approximately 180,000 bulbs in a public park setting. Contact us for appropriate mixtures and planting costs.